Produced by - Anson Funderburgh and Mike Morgan / www.mc-records.com
Cast of Characters: Mike Morgan - vocals , guitar , and - Lodge Cornbread Mold and spoon ( track 5) ; Drew Allain , bass ; Kevin Schermerhorn , drums ; Mike Flanigan , B3 ; Christian Dozzler , piano and accordion ; Shawn Pittman , piano and guitar ; Chris McGuire trumpet , tenor and baritone saxophone ; Dave Perez , accordion and harmony vocals ; Andrea Wallace , back up and harmony vocals; Pappy Middleton , backup vocals ; Reo Casey , Fender Rhodes , rhythm guitar , piano , drums , Indian Drum( track 5) , guitar fills ; Anson Funderburgh , 1st solo guitar ( track 1) ; Danny Cochran , drums ; Matt Farrell , B3
Mike Morgan, once described by Guitar World Magazine as " a genuine blues guitar hero! “, and his great band " The Crawl “, " Mike Morgan and The Crawl crank up an irrepressible mix of fresh gritty blues and romping Stax / Volt era soul" (Blues Access Magazine), return after a 15-year absence (!) from the music scene. The result is, simply, electrifying!
In 2000, " Texas Man '‘, Mike's first vocal outing, was released on Severn Records. " Texas Man '' met rave reviews and was followed up by " Live in Dallas”. " Stronger Every Day " was released by Severn in 2007 and featured guest appearances by Lee McBee and Randy McAllister. In 2006 the music.... stopped....
Mike stopped touring in 2006 except for the occasional local gig, a jam here or there, and scattered tour appearances. Most of Mike's time was spent as a sales manager of a Mesquite, Texas - based motorcycle dealership, motorcycles being Mike Morgan's true love, and a real passion. Mike didn't tour that often but kept his chops in shape with occasional jams and tour dates in his Texas region of Dallas - Fort Worth.
" Basically, I didn't write any new songs between 2007 and 2018”, says Mike, " I was just writing and I got into that work slump. I came home from work, turned on the tv, had dinner, maybe a drink and went to bed. The difference was I got to sleep in my own bed every night and I got paid every day I worked. I didn't have to cold call bars in far-flung places, no booking hotel rooms, and no rushing around the country trying to get to gigs on time. In comparison, a regular day job was almost a vacation".
" When the motorcycle shop shut down, I made myself start writing again”, Mike continues. " Once I got going, I came up with a bunch of ideas for songs. I do plan on touring if it makes sense financially. I want to tour. I want to play. The last time we went out was a Midwest tour with 12 or 13 nights in a row back in 2019. We made money on that tour but it's very hard to get that many dates together anymore. And that was before Covid. People think you're just partying out on the road but it's supposed to be WORK. If I have to sit around in a hotel room for days between gigs, I'd rather be at the motorcycle shop making money every day, and sleeping in my own bed".
Earlier this year Mike and The Crawl did a four-week tour of Europe with stops in Denmark, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Sweden, and Luxembourg.
Mike is also working with his old friends, Anson Funderburgh and Shawn Pittman as " The Texas Blues Guitar Summit “. In fact, on the brand-new M.C. Records release, " The Lights Went Out in Dallas “, Anson and Shawn lend their guitar talents to this incredible new recording.
" Lights Out in Dallas '' brings together the multiculturally diverse music offerings that make Texas such a unique cornucopia of American music - from the Gulf Coast we have Caribbean music, with songs oftentimes sung to a Latin rhythm; In the logging camps of East Texas the Polish people brought their Polkas. French speakers from Canada brought accordion and fiddle tunes; Further west in the state, cowboy songs, many with Mexican features added to the mix. Added to this mighty spicy gumbo of tastes and styles is western swing, honkey tonk, rock-a-billy, boogie woogie, and even jazz. Texas Roadhouse Blues is a boogie heavy dance music born right in the Lone Star State.
“Texas blues is different because of the vastness of the geography of Texas and the different cultural groups that have settled here,” says Alan Govenar, biographer of Texas blues legend Sam “Lightnin’” Hopkins. “This cross-fertilization of musical styles includes the Cajun and Creole music of Louisiana, the music of Mexico to the south, and dance sounds lifted from German, Czech and Polish immigrants.”
"The Light Went Out In Dallas " brings back the foot-stompin' Texas Boogie that fans have come to expect from Mike Morgan and The Crawl. However, there are plenty of surprises along the way, and Mike's vocals have never sounded better. Check out tracks like " Funkafacation" which features Mike Flanigan tearing into the Hammond B3 , a funky instrumental that an outstanding groove-fest ; " A Woman " has Christian Dozzier's accordion front and center with some smokin' lead guitar from Leo Casey ; " Please Accept My Love " is a slice of 60's soul complete with some very sweet backing vocals ; and " The Fracas By The Pecos " has a Chris McGuire trumpet break reminiscent of classic spaghetti westerns film scores( check out the inside CD liner) ; " I'm very excited about my 1st release in 15 years . I was able to write a couple of songs that are a little off the beaten path compared to some of my previous releases. I was able to bring in some of my favorite musicians to add extra spice to this gumbo of tunes. The Crawl rhythm section of Kevin Schermerhorn on Drums and Drew Allain on Bass is a force to be reckoned with".
Mike Morgan has come through hell fire and returned stronger than ever. " The Lights Went Out In Dallas " is a fiery testament to the Texas blues traditions, a gumbo of styles and tastes that ignites the senses. Welcome back Mike Morgan and The Crawl - this is the release that your fans have been waiting for. Thrilled to have you back on the scene kicking ass once again.